Abel to Yzerman

You don’t win multiple Cups when you blow your wad on one year and five players. You just don’t. You win one, then you fall into mediocrity and 6 seeds. You make grand claims that your time has arrived to consistently compete for a block of cheese but in reality that wholesome nugget of delicious dairy stays where it is because sustained excellence is all your big brother knows. Sustained. Excellence.

No team can point to Detroit and say “we’re almost there.” Nobody can say that because nobody is. Nobody’s done it longer, better or with as much character as the Wings have. Pittsburgh had to lose a million games over four years to get the picks that landed them their one Cup of the Bettman/Crosby era. Chicago bought theirs. Bought it outright then sold it a few weeks later. Anaheim pillaged their way to theirs but only a fluttering puck of sin that somehow knuckled over the shoulder of our insane goalie got them to the dance. Boston’s a nice team but no pharmacist would ever tell you they have the staying power Detroit does. Not for two years, five, ten or 21.

All is normal. All is well. The Wings lead everything that matters. Chicago is fighting for the 6 seed because that’s what you do when Corey Crawford is your number 1 goalie because Stan is no Scott. Not by a long shot, sonny. It’s big, bad nasty brother and the little tyke that wants so bad to just once prove to the world that they’re right there, shoulder to shoulder.

You’re not though. You’re just not and there just aren’t any signs that equality is a real possibility tonite, in May or next year.

So start your chants. Start them early. We know. “Detroit sucks.” We got it. But we also get this: you stopped feeling that one a long, long time ago.

About Abel to Yzerman

Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: wphoulihan@gmail.com